MONTREAL – CF Montréal kicks off the brand-new Leagues Cup on Saturday, hosting Pumas UNAM of LIGA MX at 7:30pm at Stade Saputo in the first match of its group phase campaign (MLS Season Pass, RDS, TSN, BPM Sports).
This summer onward, MLS and LIGA MX are pausing their respective league seasons and all 47 first division clubs in Canada, Mexico and the United States will compete in the World Cup-style tournament with the top three qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup (formerly the Concacaf Champions League). A total of 77 matches will be played across the USA and Canada, culminating in the final on Saturday, August 19.
In its final MLS outing before the break against Charlotte FC, Montréal earned a 2-0 shutout victory. The Bleu-blanc-noir are near the playoff line in the Eastern Conference with a 9-12-2 record and 29 points.
Pumas UNAM is a Mexican club based in Mexico City. Founded in 1954, the club has won the Mexican championship seven times. The club was also a finalist in the 2022 edition of the Concacaf Champions League, losing 5-2 on aggregate to the Seattle Sounders. Pumas UNAM is currently fourth in LIGA MX, with a record of one win and two draws (Torneo Apertura 2023).
Placed in the East 2 group due to its overall ranking in 2022, Montreal will also play D.C. United on Wednesday, July 26, at Stade Saputo. The two highest-ranked clubs at the end of this preliminary phase (made up of 15 groups of three teams) will advance to the Round of 32.
Regulation wins will count as three points and no draws will be permitted in the tournament. In the event of a draw after 90 minutes, each team will receive one point. A penalty shootout will then crown the winner, who will receive an additional point.
As for the composition of the group stage, the MLS clubs ranked 2 to 16 based on the 2022 Supporters’ Shield table were seeded first in each group. LIGA MX clubs ranked 2 to 16 based on total points for Clausura 2022 and Apertura 2022 were placed in opposite ranking order against the MLS teams (ex. LIGA MX n°15 paired with MLS n°2). The remaining 13 MLS clubs and 2 remaining LIGA MX clubs were drawn into groups and divided geographically.
Two teams will bypass the group stage and have automatic spots in the Round of 32 – LAFC, the winner of the 2022 MLS Cup, and C.F. Pachuca, the club with the most points across Clausura 2022 and Apertura 2022.
The tournament finalists and the winner of the third-place playoff will earn a place in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
The Leagues Cup 2023 Champion qualifies directly to the Concacaf Champions League Round of 16.
